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Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra: NYC Designer Had Finalized Her Divorce Just Months Before She Was Found Dead on Boat at Montauk Yacht Club

Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra: NYC Designer Had Finalized Her Divorce Just Months Before She Was Found Dead on Boat at Montauk Yacht Club

New York City designer Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra was found dead on a boat in Montauk, only months after finalizing her divorce from her husband, according to court records. The 33-year-old Irish-born designer was in the middle of uncontested divorce proceedings with her husband, Sam Ryan, as recently as April, according to New York County Supreme Court records.
The documents show their marriage ended only months before Nolan-O'Slatarra was found dead on a boat docked at the exclusive Montauk Yacht Club around midnight last Tuesday — with a naked man reportedly shouting frantically at bystanders to help her. Police have launched an investigation but have said that they have not found anything suspicious.
New Revelations
Martha Nolan TikTok
In another recent legal bout, Nolan and her East x East swimwear co-owner, Dylan Grace, were sued in 2022 by Out East Accessories, a high-end eyewear store in Manhattan, according to a lawsuit.
The complaint claimed that the two were accused of stealing $34,000 from a company bank account along with the store's entire stock of eyewear. The lawsuit further alleged that the pair blocked the owners from accessing their bank account, emails, and social media by changing the passwords.
Martha Nolan X
Court records show the case was settled in July 2022.
Police said that no signs of violence or physical harm were found on Nolan-O'Slatarra's body, but they have not ruled out foul play and have not released details of the ongoing investigation.
The incident took place around midnight, when two witnesses were awakened by shouting and saw the man believed to own the Ripple boat running down the dock in a state of panic.
Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra X
"We were sound asleep," the eyewitness, who asked not to be identified, told The Post.
"We heard someone shouting, stuff bouncing off the side of the boat. He threw sunscreen at our boat trying to wake us up," he said. "He was running up and down, naked, screaming, 'Do something!'"
Investigators Still Unsure
Suffolk County police said the bystanders attempted to revive the well-known designer before emergency crews arrived, but their efforts were unsuccessful, and Nolan-O'Slatarra was declared dead.
Martha Nolan X
The man who called 911 and his friend, both frequent visitors to the yacht club, said they did not know who she was.
In an interview with the Irish Independent last year, the blue-eyed designer shared that she was originally from Carlow, a small town located just over 50 miles from Dublin.
Hardworking and ambitious, Nolan-O'Slatarra completed a bachelor's degree in business administration and management at University College Dublin, then went on to earn a master's in digital marketing from the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School in 2014.
Martha Nolan X
"I always knew I wanted to be successful, that I was money-driven, business-driven, and that fashion is a tough industry and it would be a slow road," she told the Independent.
At just 26, she became vice president of client experiences at an Ireland-based retail marketing firm — but admitted to the outlet that she felt unfulfilled in her career.
In 2021, she went on to launch the swimwear brand East x East along with a fashion accessories label, Duper.
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Martha Nolan Cause of Death: NYC Designer Met Insurance Moghul Christopher Durnan Before She Was Found Dead on Boat in Montauk Yacht Club
Martha Nolan Cause of Death: NYC Designer Met Insurance Moghul Christopher Durnan Before She Was Found Dead on Boat in Montauk Yacht Club

International Business Times

time17 hours ago

  • International Business Times

Martha Nolan Cause of Death: NYC Designer Met Insurance Moghul Christopher Durnan Before She Was Found Dead on Boat in Montauk Yacht Club

The circumstances under which New York City swimwear designer Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra died in the Hamptons last week and the cause of her death has been revealed. Nolan-O'Slatarra possibly died of drug overdose, according to The Daily Mail. Police have launched an investigation and have not found anything suspicious in the designer's death. The 33-year-old traveled to the upscale Montauk Yacht Club on the evening of August 4 to meet with insurance executive Christopher Durnan, 60, according to sources, who spoke to the outlet. Durnan — a widower and guitarist linked with several boats named after Grateful Dead songs—is believed to have invested over $200,000 in the Irish designer's swimwear business. Shocking Things Before Death Martha Nolan Instagram The meeting took a tragic turn when, around midnight, Durnan ran down the dock naked, screaming for help and saying that Martha had lost consciousness. Witnesses called 911 and boarded a boat named Ripple in an attempt to revive the blonde, blue-eyed designer. However, she was pronounced dead at the scene on August 5, with sources telling the Daily Mail that Martha likely died from a suspected drug overdose involving cocaine or other narcotics. Martha Nolan TikTok Photos taken the following morning showed a light scattering of a dusting of a mysterious white powder on a seat aboard the 50-foot cabin cruiser, which bore the Grateful Dead's "Steal Your Face" logo — a skull with a lightning bolt — on its stern. The outlet also identified Martha's boyfriend as 34-year-old sales executive Nicholas DiRubio, who was reportedly out of town when the incident occurred. Police said that no signs of violence or physical harm were found on Nolan-O'Slatarra's body but are waiting for toxicology results before they release a formal cause of death. Martha Nolan X Her family has been told the process could take up to three months, according to Irish media reports. Durnan founded the Durnan Group in 1981 specializing in workers' compensation insurance. A Lot Still in Mystery As of Monday, the Ripple was no longer docked at the Montauk Yacht Club, a 16-acre Star Island resort offering slips for 200 boats along with upscale amenities such as a tennis court and two swimming pools. Martha Nolan X Local sources said a crew arrived at dawn last Friday to sail the yacht away. Another boat believed to be owned by Durnan — a five-engine powerboat called Hell In a Bucket, also referencing the Grateful Dead — reportedly left the club the previous night, the source added. The father of two is believed to divide his time between a five-bedroom, $6 million mansion in Long Beach, New York, and an equally luxurious home in Lantana, near Palm Beach, Florida. Durnan suffered a heartbreaking personal tragedy in 2018 when his wife, Marie, died unexpectedly at the age of 49. Her obituary described her as a devoted wife, loving mother, and "adored aunt to 23 nieces and nephews." The cause of death was not made public. Martha, a self-made entrepreneur, was raised in Carlow, a picturesque village in southeast Ireland surrounded by rolling green countryside. Martha Nolan X She earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the prestigious University College Dublin and later obtained a master's degree in digital marketing from the Smurfit Graduate School of Business. At just 26, she became vice president of client experiences at an Ireland-based retail marketing firm — but admitted to the outlet that she felt unfulfilled in her career. In 2021, she went on to launch the swimwear brand East x East along with a fashion accessories label, Duper.

Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra: NYC Designer Had Finalized Her Divorce Just Months Before She Was Found Dead on Boat at Montauk Yacht Club
Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra: NYC Designer Had Finalized Her Divorce Just Months Before She Was Found Dead on Boat at Montauk Yacht Club

International Business Times

timea day ago

  • International Business Times

Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra: NYC Designer Had Finalized Her Divorce Just Months Before She Was Found Dead on Boat at Montauk Yacht Club

New York City designer Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra was found dead on a boat in Montauk, only months after finalizing her divorce from her husband, according to court records. The 33-year-old Irish-born designer was in the middle of uncontested divorce proceedings with her husband, Sam Ryan, as recently as April, according to New York County Supreme Court records. The documents show their marriage ended only months before Nolan-O'Slatarra was found dead on a boat docked at the exclusive Montauk Yacht Club around midnight last Tuesday — with a naked man reportedly shouting frantically at bystanders to help her. Police have launched an investigation but have said that they have not found anything suspicious. New Revelations Martha Nolan TikTok In another recent legal bout, Nolan and her East x East swimwear co-owner, Dylan Grace, were sued in 2022 by Out East Accessories, a high-end eyewear store in Manhattan, according to a lawsuit. The complaint claimed that the two were accused of stealing $34,000 from a company bank account along with the store's entire stock of eyewear. The lawsuit further alleged that the pair blocked the owners from accessing their bank account, emails, and social media by changing the passwords. Martha Nolan X Court records show the case was settled in July 2022. Police said that no signs of violence or physical harm were found on Nolan-O'Slatarra's body, but they have not ruled out foul play and have not released details of the ongoing investigation. The incident took place around midnight, when two witnesses were awakened by shouting and saw the man believed to own the Ripple boat running down the dock in a state of panic. Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra X "We were sound asleep," the eyewitness, who asked not to be identified, told The Post. "We heard someone shouting, stuff bouncing off the side of the boat. He threw sunscreen at our boat trying to wake us up," he said. "He was running up and down, naked, screaming, 'Do something!'" Investigators Still Unsure Suffolk County police said the bystanders attempted to revive the well-known designer before emergency crews arrived, but their efforts were unsuccessful, and Nolan-O'Slatarra was declared dead. Martha Nolan X The man who called 911 and his friend, both frequent visitors to the yacht club, said they did not know who she was. In an interview with the Irish Independent last year, the blue-eyed designer shared that she was originally from Carlow, a small town located just over 50 miles from Dublin. Hardworking and ambitious, Nolan-O'Slatarra completed a bachelor's degree in business administration and management at University College Dublin, then went on to earn a master's in digital marketing from the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School in 2014. Martha Nolan X "I always knew I wanted to be successful, that I was money-driven, business-driven, and that fashion is a tough industry and it would be a slow road," she told the Independent. At just 26, she became vice president of client experiences at an Ireland-based retail marketing firm — but admitted to the outlet that she felt unfulfilled in her career. In 2021, she went on to launch the swimwear brand East x East along with a fashion accessories label, Duper.

Actress Eleanor Lee wins lawsuit against ex-assistant who doctored her audio recording
Actress Eleanor Lee wins lawsuit against ex-assistant who doctored her audio recording

New Paper

time3 days ago

  • New Paper

Actress Eleanor Lee wins lawsuit against ex-assistant who doctored her audio recording

China-based Eleanor Lee has won a lawsuit against a former assistant who edited an audio recording which got the Singaporean actress into hot water with Chinese netizens. The 25-year-old daughter of local Taiwan-born host Quan Yifeng was in the news in May for allegedly making derogatory comments about the people of China, which she denied. On May 21, a netizen claiming to be her former assistant posted an apology on Chinese social media platform Weibo and admitted to posting the edited recording. On July 29, Lee's agency wrote on Weibo that it had received the Chinese court's Certificate of Judgment Enforcement and attached the document. "Eleanor Lee has always loved and respected Chinese culture and stood firm in her position," the agency wrote. "We firmly defend her legal rights and urge everyone to refrain from believing or spreading rumours, to jointly resist false information and build a clean cyberspace." The agency also shared a post from Mr Yang Shuguang, a senior partner from Hai Run Law Firm, who shared a legal statement on the progress of the case. The statement said the court had issued a ruling on June 23, with the ruling taking effect on July 17. It also noted that the false content posted online by the former assistant had damaged Lee's reputation, causing her mental distress and affecting her business activities. "The court ordered the defendant to run a statement of apology to Eleanor Lee on the defendant's Weibo account for 60 consecutive days, and to pay damages to her for mental stress, legal costs and other financial losses," said the statement. It also said the legal firm has identified several social media accounts which maliciously fabricated and spread false information, and stated that it will continue to monitor these users. "If the relevant network users still fail to promptly delete the infringing content they have posted after the release of this statement, or continue to commit the infringing acts, our lawyers will promptly collect additional evidence and file a lawsuit in court with the client's authorisation." The furore began when a netizen claiming to be Lee's former assistant released a poor-quality audio recording that lasted about 30 seconds on Weibo in April. In the recording, which features much background noise and some muffled words, a woman is heard saying she is "doing this not for fame, but for money" and that "most people in China are idiots". The incident gained traction after the media in China and Taiwan reported on it in May. Lee has not updated her social media accounts since posting a video clip on May 21, in which she gave her side of the story. There is no word if her role in the upcoming Chinese period drama, The Journey Of Legend, will be affected by the saga. Shi Hang Law Firm, which is representing the producers of the show, said in a statement posted on Weibo on July 29 that it is planning to take legal action against certain online users who have been spreading false information and continuously posting defamatory content about the series.

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